Why the violin?
So you've chosen to play the violin! A brave but rewarding choice. There lies ahead a lot of hard work and sheer determination if you are to succeed. Why did you choose the violin? Is it a childhood memory of something you heard; perhaps you learned as a child and gave up! Perhaps you just want to tame this untamable beast! Whatever, something in your character made you think about it, so let's see if I can help you.
The first thing is to get an instrument and teacher. I recommend that you consult as many people as possible about the purchase of an instrument. With prices from tens of pounds up to £any it is worth getting some help if you don't know what you are looking for!
Let's face it. A violin is a violin. Some are better than others but they all do the same job. So does its companion in the case, the bow. Violins and bows can be purchased as an outfit with a case and rosin quite cheaply, but if you want to go for a better model, they always come separately and will be more costly. As I've said, a violin is a violin, but the subtleties and nuances available on a handmade instrument make the whole job of learning to play it that much easier. So if you want to get a £25.00 Chinese factory made job, go ahead and get it - but you will find it so much harder to play on and to produce an acceptable sound. I play on a very beautiful instrument made in 1794 and another made in 1936 which were both costly but are so easy to approach. I have a bow from around 1750 and it moves like a Rolls Royce! I have cheaper instruments and bows too - but some of these are very hard work - both to play and to listen to!
The bow is not to be overlooked. I have four fine bows which all produce different qualities from the same violin. A bow must be strong and resilient and have character. The best bows tend to be French bows made in the nineteenth century but I have a fine English bow made around 1980 which is great for everyday playing. Get advice on choosing your bow as well as your violin. You will find what you want and to suit your pocket, but don't expect to sound like Yehudi Menuhin if you buy a factory outfit! Menuhin played for most of his life on Stradivarius violins and in his later career he flirted with a Guarnerius del Gesu. Stradivarius violins are famous violins from the 18th century. They were made by Antonio Stradivari (1644-1737) at his workshop in Cremona, Italy. Giuseppe Guarneri (1698-1744) also lived and worked in Cremona. His violins are as equally sought after as those by Antonio Stradivari and many players favour these powerful violins. He was a devout catholic and dedicated many of his violins on the label inside to Jesus, hence the title del Gesu. There were other well known violin makers living and working in Cremona and in other parts of Italy in the eighteenth century and any violin from Italy from this period is highly sought after today.
Find a sympathetic teacher. Nobody likes to be told that they are rubbish at this - we feel it very deeply. Search around and book a few consultation lessons with various people to find out who's around. Your local music shop may have a teachers' register available. Find out where they trained and what experience they've had in teaching. Ask them - a world class performer might be a lousy teacher or may be an excellent one if they really want to do it! In any given area we will all know each other anyway and we talk to each other all the time, so be up front with us. It's all down to character and personality.